Ham.

P. 346.-263.-121.

The clown shall make those laugh,

whose lungs are tickled o' the sere.

This passage I do not understand.

Ibid.-122.

and the lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse
shall halt for't.

The meaning of this I doubt.

P. 346.-264.-122.

Ham. How chances it, they travel? their residence, both
in reputation and profit, was better both ways.

Ros. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the
late innovation.

This passage, notwithstanding the pains bestowed on it by the commentators, I do not

understand.

P. 348.-266.-125.

Ros. But there is, sir, an aiery of children, little eyases,
that cry out on the top of question, and are most ty-
rannically clapp'd for it.

The meaning of this expression I still doubt.

P. 351.-270.-131.

Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord.

Ham. Buz, buz.`

Pol. Upon my honour,

I believe buz is rightly explained by Sir William Blackstone and Mr. M. Mason.

P. 352.-271.-132.

Pol. For the law of writ, and the liberty, these are the
only men.

I confess I incline to read wit, with the modern editors.

P. 353.-272.—134.

Ham. The first row of the pious chanson will show you
more; for look, my abridgment comes

I think my abridgment is rightly explained by Dr. Johnson.

Ham. O, old friend! Why, thy face is valanced since I
saw thee last; Com'st thou to beard me in Denmark.

Valanced (not valiant) is surely the right reading.

Ham.

P. 356.-274.-138.

but it was (as I received it, and others, whose judgments in such matters, cried in the top of mine) an excellent play.

I think Mr. Warburton's is the right explanation of this.

P. 357.-275.-140.

Ham. The rugged Pyrrhus,-he, whose sable arms,
Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse,
Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd
With heraldry more dismal, &c.

I have sometimes fancied that Shakespeare has made these lines elaborately tumid for the purpose of marking a distinction between the diction of this supposed tragedy and that of the personages of the drama, whose language he would have taken to be that of real life, and by this artifice, to give the greater appearance of reality to his play. He is fond of comparing the actions of his characters to a theatrical exhibition.

P. 364.-279.-147.

Ham. Is it not monstrous, that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,

Could force his soul so to his own conceit,

That from her working, all his visage wann'd.

I prefer warm'd, the reading of the folio, to wann'd, the reading of the quarto.

P. 367.-282.-151.

Ham. That I, the son of a dear father murder'd,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my words,
And fall a cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion!

Fie upon't! foh! About my brains!

brains is, I think, rightly explained

About my by Mr. M. Mason.

Queen.

P. 368.-284.-153.

Did he receive you well?

Ros. Most like a gentleman.

Guil. But with much forcing of his disposition.
Ros. Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.

I incline to agree with Mr. Malone.

P. 369.-285.-154.

King. Her father and myself (lawful espials,)
Will so bestow ourselves, that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge.

I incline to adhere to the quartos, and omit lawful espials, as Mr. Malone and Mr. Theobald

have done.

P. 370.-286.-156.

Ham. To be, or not to be, that is the question :-
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune;

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them.

I always thought Dr. Johnson's explanation of the first four lines and a half of this speech wrong. They are rightly explained by Mr.

Malone.

P. 372.-288.-158.

there's the respect,

That makes calamity of so long life;

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, &c.

I think the present reading is right.

P. 375.-289.-160.

When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin.

I incline to think that Mr. Malone is right.

P. 376.-292.-163.

thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought;
And enterprizes of great pith and moment,
With this regard, their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

I prefer pith to pitch..

P. 377.-292.-164.

Oph. What means your lordship ?

Ham. That if you be honest, and fair, you should admit
no discourse to your beauty.

I incline to adopt Dr. Johnson's reading.

Ham.

P. 385.-300.-174.

to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time, his form and pressure.

The meaning of this I doubt. Mr. Davies thinks that the age and body of the time means the particular view and follies of the age we live in.

P. 385.-300.-175.

now this over-done, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve.

I read, with Theobald, or come tardy of.

Ham.

P. 410.-322.-208.

Now could I drink hot blood,

And do such business as the bitter day

Would quake to look on.

A a

I concur with Theobald in preferring the reading of the folio.

Though bitter business is now a vulgar phrase, I think with Mr. Steevens that it might not have been such in Shakespeare's time.

P. 414.-326.-213.

King. O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,
A brother's murder !-pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will.

As I do not understand the distinction between inclination and will in this place, I incline to read as 'twill, with Theobald, who has not printed this emendation in his edition of 1740.

cannot think that Mr. Steevens's explanation of will is the true one. Mr. M. Mason's explanation reminds me of Mrs. Johnson's interpretation of the first couplet uttered by Drawcansir; "That is, Mr. Bayes, as much as to say, "that though he would rather die than not drink, yet he would fain drink for all that "too."

66

P. 416.-327.-215.

Ham. A villain kills my father; and, for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge.

Mr. Harris, in his Philological Enquiries, gives an instance (from William of Malmesbury, p. 96. edit. London. fol. 1596) of a similar sentiment in William count of Poictou, who being about to dispatch the bishop of Poictou, who had offended him, suddenly stopped, saying, "Nec cœlum unquam intrabis meæ manus "ministerio."